WASHINGTON, USA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) – through the Department of Social Inclusion (DSI) of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity (SARE) – and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) will contribute to the implementation of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, having been jointly selected to serve as the Technical Secretariat of the mechanism.
As part of the Technical Secretariat, PADF – a nonprofit entity established by the OAS – and the DSI will play a key role as neutral technical coordinators, fostering the implementation of activities associated with the Los Angeles Declaration.
The responsibilities of the Technical Secretariat include:
– Facilitating coordination among States,
– Advancing the technical work of the Action Package Committees,
– Creating conditions to avoid duplication of efforts with other regional processes, and
– Convening a wide range of strategic actors, such as international organizations, civil society, academia, the private sector, and multilateral development banks, among others.
The Los Angeles Declaration, launched during the IX Summit of the Americas in June 2022, is a unique hemispheric mechanism that promotes shared responsibility in addressing migration and forced displacement in the region. It is built on four key pillars: promoting stability and assistance for communities of destination, origin, transit, and return; promoting regular pathways for migration and international protection; promoting humane migration management; and promoting a coordinated emergency response.
To this date, 22 countries have endorsed the Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to creating conditions for safe, orderly, and regular migration in the Americas.
The appointment, made by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, as host of the IX Summit of the Americas and primary sponsor of the Declaration, will strengthen hemispheric collaboration and mobilize the entire region to implement innovative actions that will transform migration governance in the Americas.
